Movie notes: Why summer sucks

So why do we keep getting an endless string of mediocre sequels every summer?

That’s an easy one — because we keep going to see them.

“Hollywood will continue to take our money so long as we keep paying $13 to sit in a cool theater and watch another ‘Fast Five,’ ” wrote Drew Grant on salon.com.

For sure, we’ll keep getting “Hangovers” for years to come. Despite being pounded by the critics, “The Hangover Part II” earned a whopping $135 million Memorial Day weekend (plus Thursday, when it opened). That’s a record for a live-action comedy, analyst Brandon Gray of boxofficemojo.com noted.

It’s all part of a vicious cycle of brand-centered moviemaking. Hollywood folks think we won’t go see anything we’re not familiar with. When we vote with our feet and prove them right, we get more of them same. And since budgets keep expanding, movie studios can’t afford to take a chance on an original screenplay.

That’s one reason I enjoyed last summer’s “Inception” so much. Not only was it a fascinating concept, it was completely new. The thrill of discovery was a feeling I had almost forgotten — at least from May to Labor Day.

There won’t be many “Inceptions” this summer. Counting the fifth “X-Men” film that opens Friday, we’ve already had six franchises rolled out (including “Thor,” which aims to set up another Marvel Comics superhero run). Yet to come are the next installments of “Cars,” “Transformers,” “Harry Potter,” “Final Destination,” “Spy Kids” and “Planet of the Apes,” plus more comic-book superhero adventures on “Green Lantern” and “Captain America.”

“I wouldn’t even pitch an original idea anymore,” said screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, who won an Oscar for “The Usual Suspects,” in an interview with New York magazine. “What (studios) want is — through no fault of their own — a piece of pre-existing material that’s survived some sort of a litmus test, like a graphic novel.”

Will Ferrell said recently that studio execs are so box-office conscious, he can’t even get an “Anchorman” sequel made. Ferrell’s plight points to another development — popular franchises are no longer star-driven. As the New York magazine piece points out, save for Johnny Depp in the fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, special effects are the stars this summer, mainly because their box-office track record is better than lots of stars these days.

Plus, in a brand-centric world, stars are almost irrelevant. The new “X-Men” prequel is a case in point. Its rising stars work cheaper than Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen and Hugh Jackman, meaning more money to spend on those critical special effects.

Which explains why the reboot/prequel has suddenly become a popular tool for extending the life of a venerable franchise.